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VOLUME XXIX. LAURENS, SOUTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1913- UM 22 T[L[PHON[ COMPANY WANTS B[TT[R RAT[8 Says Present Rates Are Not Remunerative. IMPROVED SERVICE IS PROMISED Railroad 'omminIsion Held henring Hero Thursday on Petition of the Laurens Telephone Company Ask. ing tighh to Raise Telephone Rates. To (live eiter Service. Pursuant to a petition to tho rail road coimmission and to a notice oft a hearing published in both the Laurens newspapers, the Laurens telephone company, through its president, Mr. W. R. 'Richey, appeared before the con mission here Thursday to ask for the right to raise its present rates in or der to place the company on a pay ing basis and to make it possible for the. company to make improvements in the service without entailing a loss in operating expenses. The hearing was held in the court house at three o'clock in the afternoon, John G. Richards, . chairman of the cominmis sion, and 1. L. Caughhnan, another member of the commission, 'being present. U. MclDuflie lampton, the remaining commissioner, was absent. About half a dozen citizens of Laurens appeared to listen to the arguments and to 'place a counter petition with the commissioners opposing the raise of rates. .Mr. W. L. \iray represented the counter-petitioners. The petition '-laced in the hands of the commission by Mr. Gray was signed by about sev enty-five alleged patrons of the tele shone company, though Mr. Richey contended that there were twelve sign era who were not subscribers and pa trons of the telephone company and that there were twelve more who Would not be affected by the proposed ates, as they were already paying the rate asked for. The petition of the telephone ce.:n pany sets out, in brief, that the com pany is capitalized at $5,000; that it has operating, maintenance, deprecia tion and office expenses of $9,403.18 and an income of $7,899.00 to cover, the same, showing a net loss yearly of $1,604,18. Therefore it prays that the commission allow it to raise its pres ent rates to meet this deficit and to make needed improvements. The im provements contemplated in the -peti t'cn are the placing of all subscribers on metallic circuits and making of re pairs on the switchboard now in use. The rates now in effect and the an ticipated raise in each case are as fol lows: Business telephones, special lines, metallic circuit, each now $2.25; the company asks to be allowed to raise this to $2.50, being 25 cents per month more. BTusiness telep~hones, special lines, ground circuits, each $1.75; to- be0 put on metallic circuit and raised to $2.50. Rlesidence telephlones, special lines, metallic circepit, each $2.00; to remain as at present. Residence telephones, speciail lines, ground circuit, each $1.50; to be 1)1ne ad o0,ypetallic circuit andl raisedl to $2.00. In additllon to tils thle petitionl pro vides 'for business phlones, party lines, metallic circuit, at $2.00 per mlonth, a and the same service for residences at $1.50 per monthl. The1 .-petition states that by putting all telephones on a metallic circuit hearing over all the lines will be0 made more distinct; thlat those patrons now paying for metallic circuit do not get the benefit of the extra expenditure when talking to a patron using the ground circuit as the ground circuit telephone is inferior 'to the metallic circuit. Trho petition (lees not state on what terms subscribera will be given long distance telep~hone service, but Mfr. ihey statedq when asked about tile umatter yesterday, that the rate for -long distance service is fixed by the Southlern Bel'l Telephone Co. wile owns the Toll Lines. If the' rates for tele phone service are raised then all sub scribers will be 'put on a metallic cir cuit and will be allo'wed to talk over the toll lines by paying the usual fee for long distance tlis. At present all bu iness telephmores with a rate of $2.25 per month hlave long distance connection and rosi PARDONING OF BATES CREATED A SENSATION Former Officer of the Law YiWho Killed ills One-Time Paramour Arrives in Spartanburg, Having Been Released From Penitentiary. Spartanburg, Dec. 22.-The pardon ing of Joe Bates, a murderer, by Gov. Blease today, created a sensation in Spartanburg. Bates arrived in Spar tanburg this evening and was taken to the home of his father. Bates formerly was a policeman and at the time of his crime was a chain gang guard. On Sunday morning, August 29, 1909, he shot and instantly killed Mrs. Docla Bolter, eighteen years old, wife of .1. R. Bolter, a farm er living near Fairmont, at the home of W. 13. Cox in this city. At the same time Bates shot and seriously wounded Mamie Cox, eight years old, who was standing nearby with her baby sister in her arms. Mrs. Boiter formerly had been the mistress of Bates, leaving him to marry Bolter. At Gray Court-Owings School. On Tuesday, Dec. 30th, at 6.30 therd will be an oyster and ice-cream supper at the Gray Court-Owings school. The entertainment -s being given by the Rural School Improvement association of that school and Is given for the benefit of the school. All are cordial ly invited to he present. At Rocky Springs. The Christmas tree at Rocky Springs has been postponed until Fri day, Dec. 26 at 2 p. in. The public is invited. dence telephones with a rate of $2.00 have long distance connection. Others have not. As grounds for its petition, the tele phone company cited rates of several cities in the approximate class with Laurens where rates are as high or higher, as follows: Abbeville and Greenwood pay $2.50 for business phones and $2.00 for residence phones; Darlington, Florence, Orangeburg, Un ion and Newberry pay $3.00 for busi ness phones and $2.00 for residence phones. Greenwood has the so-called "Common Battery system" of connec tion where subscribers do not have to ring to get the attention of central or ring off to be (disc ...eted. The counter-petit. ll offered on be half of certain patrons by Mr. Gray asked the commission to refuse the request of the telephone company on the grounds that the rates now In force are not too low and that they compare favorably with the rates of other towns ,having similar service. The rates for telephone service in the town of Clinton was the only one quot ed by Mr. Gray, Clinton rates being $2.50 per month for business phones and $1.50 for residence phones. Mr. Richey stated yesterday that the reason the subscribers at Clinton were getting residence phones at $1.50 per month was that the Bell Telephone 'Co., when it bought the Clinton ex change agreed to only chlarge $1,50 for r'esidlence phones. Tile Bell comn pany made tIs cheap rate for resi dence phones ill ordler to get Clinton for a cenltral location. Outside of thle Ipetitionls and argu imenlts of Messrs. Rtichey anld Gray, roting else took pllace inl theC meet ing and~ after these genltlemlen 11ad va catedl the floor, Chairmlan RIchards .<tated that the commission would take the petition and( counlter-etitionl unl decr adlvisemlenlt andc r'eachi ai decisionl at as early a (late as possible1. -It is Interesting to note in Article 11. of tile telephlone petition, that "the Launlls Telephone Comlpa ny recently appllied to the City Council of Lau lens of the City of Laurens for a per ipetual Franchlise wIth tile iight to chlarge t'-0 and 50-100 (10l1lars ($2.50) ler' month for business 'phlones and two dloliars ($2.00) Per mlonthl for' res idence phones, and on1 October 8thl, 1913, thle City Council of thle City of IUaurenls, granted -unto the Laurens Telephono l00mpany a 'perpetual Franchilso, and by saidi Francise gave to tile Laurens Telephonle Compatny, its successors an~d assigns, tile :ight, pewer and authlority to charge its pa trons and sulbscribers" the same raites asked for in tile petition to the ril roadl commission. Tile petition to tile r'ailroadl commis sion is dated October 24th and14 the (late for the hearing was asked to 1)0 No vdlmber 22nd. Tile com~mission was utnable to give the hlearinlg ait thlat time requestedl and ordered the hlear lagnfr ee nmhe 2Rth, 19132 THE RENNO SCHOOL COMES TO FRONT Takes First Place in Contest for Prize Offered for School Taking Most In terest in General Improvement. The Renno school, of Jacks town ship, has been awarded the piano of fered by AMr. .John F. Williams, of Greenville, for the school in Laurens county making the most general in provements and taking the most inter est in school affairs during the past year. The final decision was -received Wednesday, after a committee coum posed of Mr. 11. L. Jones, Mrs. R. F'. Fleming and Mrs. S. M. Wilkes, had visited this school and the Trini .y Ridge school, between which the final decision had to be made. Other schools had been eliminated from the contest previously although several of them, notably the Hickory Tavern school, had made splendid showings. The Itenno school is a handsome four room brick structure, recently erected. It is situated on a large four acre plot of land given by Mr. "Bille" Bell. Before building was begun, the 'patrons of the school gathered togeth er and leveled off the school plot so that now it makes a splendid appear ance. No special tax nor bonds were voted to build on, but the patrons went down into their pockets and raised the required sum of money. The building is a very pretty one, both on the ex teror and interior, being a model for rural con muunities. Altho'agh the school has a 1am uch smaller attendance than many others in the county, it is a very progressive one. There were thirty seven children on the school roll last year and the average attend a.nce was thirty six, a splendid show ing. Extra Service at Post. Offiee. During the unusual rush incident upon Christmas shipping, the postal employees are having all that they can' attend to in meeting the demands of the occasion. Although the local post office has been doing a big parcel post business and many packages are be ing handled, they are yet ahead of the game mnd are handling with dispatchl all packages entrusted to them. Rural route carriers have been pressed into service for city duty and have geen as sisting in the delivery. Monday night and last night the general delivery window was left open until after the usual hours to take care of the rush and tonight the window will be open again until nine o'clock or as long as the rush lasts. Christmas imorning there will be no delivery of mail, but the general delivery windows will be open until 10 o'clock for the receipt and delivery of mail of every descrip tion. J. D. W. WATTS OUT FOR SUPERVISOR Definitely Stated Yesterday that He will be in the Race on Platform of Good Roads. Mr. John tD. W. Watts, the Vromi nent Trinity-Ridge farmer, statedl de fluiitcly to a ropresentative of The Ad vertiser' yesterdlay that lie wvould be. in the race for county supervisor next summer to succeed Mr. Ilumbert, who it is expectedl will also be in the race., .\r. Watts said that he had receivedl considlerab~le encouragement from all sections of the county and that. lie was conlflident of making a goodl race. lHe saidl that his prinicipal platform wvould be good roadls. Another now being spoeken of as a prosp~ecttve candlidate for this office is Mir. Wright Sims, of Waterloo town ship. Mr. B. RI. Todd1, Mr. Geo. C. Hop kinis and Mr. Ilumbert have already been mentioned in these columns as prosp~ective .candlidates, all of these with the excoption of Mr. Hiumbert having definitely made their intentions known. Entertained C'onrt Officers. Mr. andl Mrs. C. A. Power entertained the officers of the court house Satur day night with one of those 01(1 time oyster, o'possum and~ birdl supp~iers. The table was bountifully supplied with all the good things of the season and the repast was greatly enjoyed. All of the court house officeers enjoyed the hospitality of Mr. anid Mrs. Power. James Ii. Clarke D~ead. JTames B. Clarke, the youngest son of Rev. W. A. Clarke, of this city, dhiedl at his home at Wards, Thu rsday. 110 had 'been in ill health for sonic thne as the result of nn-nffnetion of the thrat. ATROCIOUS DEED NEAR ORANGEBURG L.onely Widow Attacked by Negro Wu san and Seriously Wounded in Many Places. Orangeburg, Dec. 21.--As results of the most atrocious deeds ever colm titted in this county, Mrs Sue C. Cannon, about -15 years old and a widow, is In this city desperately founded, and Mlary Gaillard, a negro woman, accused by Mrs. Cannon of attacking her, was at last reports, surrounded by a posse in a swamp in the vicnlity of Vance, near the scene of the assault, which, it is greatly feared, will tenttnate in a tragedy. In fact, it is said, the doctors attending Mlrs. Cannon hold out little hope of her recovery, so serious are the many wounds she received, irs. Cannon was brought to Or angeburg Friday night for surgical and medical attention, after her phy sician, )r. W. II. Lawton, of Vance, had taken more than twenty stitches in(d her wounds. She is now at the home of her (laughter, Mrs. W. J. Morgin, wife of the well known At lantic Coast Line conductor on the P'regnall branch. Children Save Mother's Life. The fiendish attack on Mrs. Can ton, of which Mary Gaillard is ac cused, was made early Thursday night. at M1rs. Cannon's home, on her plantation at .lillican's, a small station on the Coast. Line, near Vance. Mlrs. ('annon was alone at the time, her children, a boy about It and a girl a little younger, having gone on a visit to neighbors, and returning just in time to witness part of the attack and prevent. the assailant applying a match to their mother's clothes, which site had saturated with kerosene. Although fearfully injured, Mrs. C'annon has been able to talk about the attack, which she declares was made for the purpose of robbery, and during which a sutti of money, for which she had sold some cotton, was taken. She asserts positively that Mary Gaillard was her assailant. It is sai(1 that the Gaillard woman has been it the Vnce coimmnttttity about two years and bears a )ad reputation amtong both the negroes and white people. The substance of \irs. Cannon's ver sion of the dilliculty in -which she re ceived what may prove fatal injuries, is about as follows: Victims's Recital. She declares that while alone in her home about 8 o'clock Thursday night, Mary Gaillard came to her house, but the woman's presence be objectionable Mrs. Cannon ordered her away. The woman stated that she had come to see about a pattern and also spoke about some sewing she probably wished to have Mrs. Cannon do for her. Then, without giving the slightest intimation of her intentions, Mrs. Cannon says, the woman struck her on the head with a billet of wood, shte began slaishing her with a razor, also striking her with a bottle. Mrs. Cannon further declars that her as sailant grabbed her' telling her' thtat she wa~s going to break her arm, whlich shte proceeded to (10 by twvisting the membel~r until the bone wvas frac The womant thea, says Mrs. Gannton, stuck a knife into hetr ear anid twisted it aroutnd several tities, causitig ex cruciating pain andI inflicting one of the 'itost ser'ious of her mtanty wounds. Mrs. Canntott says her' clothtes were snturatedi with kerosenec by the wo, mant, wvho was abtout to apply a match to thte oil-soakedl garments of lier' pros trarte victim, avhlen the chtlldren arriv ed, finding their mnother barely able to speak. The negtro woimn then ran out of the hack (loor' and presumably, go ing into the Santee River swamp. ENTERT'AINMENT FltlDAY. In the Presbyterian Chmurch by Two of The Church Organizations. Next Friday evening, 'Dec. 26th, at 7:30 the Covenantor Company and Miriam Club of the Presbyterian church will give a Christmas enter tainmient in the main auditortuin of the church. 'The entertainiment 'vil consist of special Christmas songs andI 'recitations by the tmembers of the two societies. The youtng people who will take part have beeni practicing dlaily and the ent(ertainment pr'omises to be a most initeresting one. Thte pubh lie is most cordially invited to be presgent. A silver-Offerintg will be taik en dnrintg the eveninig. JAM[S H. SLUIY4, .MA[ 80JP[RINH .lames Ii. Sullivan, son of the late Ji'red I). Sullivan and a well known young attorney, was selected by the state board of education Monday to I fill out the unexpired term of Super intendent of 1ducation Geo. L. Pitts who handed in his resignation to take effect the first of the year. Mr. Sulli van's tern in oflice will be for one year, unless he is re-elected during the coming summer campaign, for the four year teiliL. Mr. Sullivan goes into the oflice well IS SAFE CRACKER AGAIN IN TOILS? Spartanburg Police lave a Man They Think is Safe Cracker Recently Paroled by Illease, Spartanburg, Oce. 20.--"John Kin ney," a prisoner in the county jail, serving thirty days for vagrancy is none other, according to the pollee, than William McKinley, a noted safe. robber, who was one of the 1:t con iets liberated by Gov. ile;'se last month in honor of 'I'hankse~ivi ng. Alor-cover, the police say, tIey have evidence that MclKinley attempte'd to blow a safe within three weeks alter he was freed from the penitentiary and will bring hit to trial for the al legel crime a s soon as he op'letes his vagrancy sentence. A warrant. has been sworn out against cleinley charging him with the a ttonpted safe robbery, and .lag istrate Robert J. Glant~t will hold a preliminary investigation Monday af ternoon, when it is said much addi tional evikence will be disclosed. The man was found camping in woods near Spartanburg ,lnietion by Robert I-. Miller, a special agent of the Sout hern Hallway. lie had a sack of coal which he admitted having tak en froni the railway's goal .yard and was arrested and convicted before Magistrate Gantt. On being taken to the county jail Kinney, or McKinley, was hailed as an old acquaintance by another pris onei, Elmort Wright, vho said the new arrival was in the penitentiary at the same time that lie (Wright) was serving a life sentence there for murder. Wright, like McKinley, was paroled by Gov. IBlease, but after lie was liberated shot another lman, and lie, too, is back in prison again. Two (lays before McKinley, alias Kinney was arrested, an attempt was made to blow open the safe In the general store of Renard Frey, at Fair Forest, S. C., about eight miles fromn Spartanburg. A charge of nitro glycerine was exploded but the safe resisted the assault. The explosion was heard by a negro in the neigh borhood, but the robber was not seen. The Bitton ('lew. Tile neCxt mlorinlfg a button, with a little tuft of cloth attached, was found undlcer the window of Frey's store, It is bliieved to have beenl tor'n from the irobber's clothing as lie enter'ed the building and wuas lire seirved as of possible value as evi dence. Wheiin Kinlney was ideiitified by Wright as Mcinle y, thle safe i'obiber', ollicers examinedi Mcl(inley's ciloth lng. They found a button missiing, anad also d iscovei'ed, it is alleged, t hat the butttoni found in Frey's stor'e was identically the same as- the reainli lng btuttons oin McKInley's ('ltes andl~ that the cloth was the same as the little tuft attachled to the button refei'ied to. McKinley's repuatation as a profes sional safe i'obber andI the evidcelC of tile button, taken in connection with the fact that lie wuas arrested as a v'a grant withlin a coupile of miles of Frey's store, constitute the case against him, as at piresenit dheveloiied. Postoflice inspectora hiavr.- been in vestigating iln the belief thait McKin Iey may hav'e had accomplices and that the gang may have been respon Bilie for other robberies in tils see 110o1. Two muen in .the Spartanburg county jail, chiargedl with robblig the saufe in the p~ostofllce at Saludta, N. C., ai'e not believed, however, to have had tany conntection with McKinley. They' clahnl to be "followers of the race track who were "beating" their wvay to C'har'lestonl. McKinley, who at first was very vo inbile In nrotesting antt s aiestv YOUNG ATTORN[Y ND[NT OF [DIJCATION elluiiped to fulfill its duitie4s. Ie Is a graduate of the University of South ('arolina and1(1 a member of the bar, having read law under lion. F. P. Mc ( owan. It(e has been practicing in this county for several years as a muenber of the firm of ir"by &. .allivan. .Mr.. V C. Irby, .Jr., being the senior member. AMr. Sullivai taught for one year in the public schools at ruusotn, in Ilampton county. where he won anl env1 iable riepultation as a teacher and disciplinarian, as a vagrant and tmade an able -plea to Magistrate Uant t for his (lischrge, has since become -as silent as a cla:nn. The oflicers say he angrily broke his silence, however, when they informed him - that Postoilice Inspector 11. T. (regory, the terror of "yeggmen," was coming here to look him over. The prisoner cursed, it is said, and ex.. claimed that he did not want to see G regory. Summary of Ills Record. l iere is ('EKine y's reco r'd so far a5 it is known here: lie entered a store in Montiorenei. Aiken county, S. ('.. in 19011, anid rob hed the posto.'i'e. whicl was located in the s;ore. I'ostotlice Inspector ii. T. G'regorv got on the trail of the g:tg of which cKinley was believedi to be a mttembtler and otn .laniuary I, 1903, arrested McEKiliey inl Columbia. The prisoner was tried in April inl the Ilnited States court at (harlestoni and sentenced to the federal penii teniia ry at Atlanta for live years. After his release from the At lanta prison he was taken in hand bly the South Carolina authorities and at Aiken in .luly, 1907, largely on the tes timoniy of Postollice Inspector Greg ory, was convicted of burt glary and larceny and Sentenced to the Staten penitentiary for 15 years. lie had serv ed six years when paroled by Gov. 1 lease. On being taken to the governor's o'itie .Ic Kinley said with 'inuch earn (-tesen i reported ,that he intendl ed to gi ip crlJiitinal wa3'5 and lead anhonest life. Admitl's identity.. Si mrtanburg, Dec. 42.--After a pre I liminary investigation held in the court house this afternoon Willhuin McKinley, alias .dolin Kinney, alias "Dayton Scotty," a noted safe robber. liberated on parole from the State pen itentiary by Gov. Blease Thanksgiv ing day, was held by Magistrate Rob ert .1. Gantt to await the action of the grand jury on charges of burglary ant d attempted safe robbery. McKinley admnitted that he was the convict paroled by Gov. Blease Thanksgiving. lie said after leaving the penitentiary he went to Georgia. but his feet. became sore from walk ing and wh'len arrtested here lie was wor'king his way to Baltimore to en ter' a hospital. COURT WILL REVIEW T. U. VAUGHN'S CASE Gr'outnds Stated Upon Wlhch HIe Ap uPented to1 1'. S. Supretme ('oturt. ii ay lbe 3loths lie'fire D)eeisioni is itn. deredl. W\ashtIington., liec. 22.-T'F. I'. Vaughnrit f'ot'merly Iin charge of the Odd Fl lows' I lomte rot' Ghildren at G reen ville S. ('., appieahed to (lie supr~temie ('Outt today to set. alside his conivictioni of as sault. tupon a 1 4-year'-old girl at the home(. The court will review thie case Vaughn, who was senitoncedl to be -electi'ocuted, ckaims th'at (Itis .ptnd tcelC cannfot he imptlosed uiponi hitm heeauise electt'ocution was authot'ized by a lawv etnacted after lhe had been. indicted. lIe also clabtam that the tr'ial judge er'redl in charging the juiry that lie confessed to (ho technical elharge. Vaughn's attorney clatis that lie merely confessed to gr'eat. moral wrong. it mtay' be several 'months befot'e a decision is t'etndered. Nir. ,attmes Davis A ppointed. Mr'. .atmes D~avis, fcir a nutmbier of y'eart' Sall esmant at Daitvis, Hopb.- Co., has beeni app~oinitted city mtail carr'iert. anitd will beg in his tiew ditties thie II rat of I the yeatr. The postoflee depart ment otnly recently added anothei' eart riot' for (lie city manghw ree itt ,.ll